Who Is Harriet Jacobs Overcoming Adversity
Harriet Jacobs overcoming adversity
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is Harriet Jacobs’ story of everything she faced as a woman born into slavery. Using the alias Linda Brent she wrote of the situations she had to overcome. Jacobs not only had to handle being a female slave but she was subjected to sexual harassment by an owner, physiological abuse, having to be confined in her grandmother’s attic causing physical problems, and continuously trying to run to avoid slavery. Harriet was a woman who defied all the odds. Harriet Jacobs’ story is an incredible account of overcoming all kinds of adversity.
First, Harriet had to overcome being a female slave. Although born a slave, Harriet didn’t realize it until “six years of happy childhood had passed” (Jacobs 920). Jacobs realized that she was a slave after she had to deal with the death of her mother when she was six years old. Harriet described her emotions on being a female slave when she said “Slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for women. Superadded to the burden common to all, they have wrongs, and sufferings, and mortifications peculiarly their own” (Jacobs 930). This quote is …show more content…
Harriet Jacobs is an example of a determined strong woman. She kept her hopes up at all times and never gave up. She overcame being a female slave, psychological abuse, hiding, and running from slavery. When a person puts their mind to something they are able to achieve it. Harriet talked of her freedom at the end of her story saying “Reader, my story ends with freedom; not in the usual way, with marriage. I and my children are now free! We are as free from the power of slave holders as are the white people of the north; and though that, according to my ideas, is not saying a great deal, it is a vast improvement in my condition” (942). Harriet finally achieved her freedom and her story is
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is Harriet Jacobs’ story of everything she faced as a woman born into slavery. Using the alias Linda Brent she wrote of the situations she had to overcome. Jacobs not only had to handle being a female slave but she was subjected to sexual harassment by an owner, physiological abuse, having to be confined in her grandmother’s attic causing physical problems, and continuously trying to run to avoid slavery. Harriet was a woman who defied all the odds. Harriet Jacobs’ story is an incredible account of overcoming all kinds of adversity.
First, Harriet had to overcome being a female slave. Although born a slave, Harriet didn’t realize it until “six years of happy childhood had passed” (Jacobs 920). Jacobs realized that she was a slave after she had to deal with the death of her mother when she was six years old. Harriet described her emotions on being a female slave when she said “Slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for women. Superadded to the burden common to all, they have wrongs, and sufferings, and mortifications peculiarly their own” (Jacobs 930). This quote is …show more content…
Harriet Jacobs is an example of a determined strong woman. She kept her hopes up at all times and never gave up. She overcame being a female slave, psychological abuse, hiding, and running from slavery. When a person puts their mind to something they are able to achieve it. Harriet talked of her freedom at the end of her story saying “Reader, my story ends with freedom; not in the usual way, with marriage. I and my children are now free! We are as free from the power of slave holders as are the white people of the north; and though that, according to my ideas, is not saying a great deal, it is a vast improvement in my condition” (942). Harriet finally achieved her freedom and her story is